Online Nursing Degree: Is It Right For You?

With the high demand for registered nurses nationwide, more and more aspiring nurses are considering online nursing degrees.

Some of the major benefits of an online degree include being able to take classes at whatever time fits your schedule best, being able to hold a full-time job while studying for that degree. You can bring your laptop with you and study and send in homework assignments while you are on the bus or subway, at the beach, or at the coffee shop. You don't have to spend time and gasoline driving to a college campus, searching for parking, walking half a mile to your building, walking back....

But remember that online nursing degrees also have their limitations.

First of all, there is currently only one online program in the country that we are aware of - the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh - that allows someone with no health care degree or certificate to get their nursing degree. They take a limited number of students, they require you to have a previous bachelor's degree, you must have completed a number of science and other prerequisites, and they grant an accelerated second bachelor's degree. While this is an online program, it would be difficult if you don't live in the area as you are required to go to the Oshkosh campus several times; plus, the clinicals needed for the program are not offered in every state.

The more common types of online programs are those which enable an LPN or paramedic to "bridge" to the more advanced Associate's Degree in Nursing, which can help you achieve a registered nurse status. An example of this is Chamberlain College of Nursing. Excelsior College and many others offer these opportunities as well.

You can also, after you get your associate's degree in nursing, take online classes to get a bachelor's of science in nursing. This frequently will result in a higher salary, and also, if you want to progress into managerial positions, you generally need at least a BSN.

Online programs for masteral degrees in nursing are also available.

If there are still prerequisite subjects you need to take such as English, Psychology, Nutrition, and others, these are offered online as well. LPN to RN bridge programs often require several of these courses.

For information and links to a bunch of great online nursing degree programs, visit: http://nursingschoolprograms.com/online-nursing-degree-programs

IMPORTANT NOTE: Not every state accepts these online nursing programs. For instance, in the state of Florida, Excelsior College's Paramedic to RN program is not accredited so if you earned your degree via this program, you won't be able eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam in Florida.

You must check with your state board of nursing prior to signing up with the online program, because you do not want to spend all that time and money and find out that you are not eligible to sit for the NCLEX, which is the test that you must pass in order to be licensed as a nurse.

Which online nursing degrees are best for you and your career needs? Drop by our site to learn more about these online nursing programs as well as the traditional programs that are available today.